Airstrike The Careful Risk Taker
by Airstrike
Summary: Airstrike and Bullet are caught up in two Infernos... how will this affect the rest of their lives? Bad summary... just have a read! Recently Edited!


_S_am : Hello all! Alright lets try this again. This is a lil story about Airstrike... Except this is mark 2! I recently edited it!

_A_irstike : I thought this file was already up...

_S_am : I put it on again... The file was corrupted.

_A_irstrike : Well can you answer me this question again? Why the heck do you use my name as your username?!

_S_am : -smiles innocently- Because you're the best and you're wonderful and I knew you wouldn't mind... And because you rock...

_A_irstike : ... Uh huh yeah... sure... Roll Disclaimer!

**DISCLAIMER** : **I do not own Transformers... but I own Airstrike. He does not exist... except this version. Which is MY version! Basically, he is MY charecter! I created him, I wrote his bio I DID IT ALL! NO TOUCHIE MY STRIKER! XD **

_S_am : I forgot to add something... Ok.. This is the first time I've had to write this XD

_Italic - Flashback... _

Normal - Writing...

* * *

_Designation : Airstrike_

_-Begin Memory Playback Transmission-_

* * *

_Airstrike _

_The Careful Risk Taker_

* * *

"Almost there Bullet... just hang on" said Airstrike quietly as his friend limped beside him. Bullet looked up at him, his left hand on his chest plate to hold it in place. They slowly walked past piles of debris from what had been a highly populated planet. Fire raged around them as they travelled, Airstrike helping his comrade walk as they both tried to keep conscious. 

Bullet looked around. "Stop... we're going to walk into the fire if we keep going this way..." Said Bullet wearily.

Airstrike stopped, still looking straight ahead. "Which way?" he said. He relied on Bullet to guide him since their last battle with the Decepticons had left him blinded. Bullet was relying on him to help him walk, since the battle had also left his whole right side paralyzed.

"Take a left... It's gonna get hot but it's the only way out" replied Bullet. Everything around them was on fire, even the way he had indicated to go. But there was a path through it. He could just see the other side of the burning building.

"Alright... Just don't guide me into fire ok? I've lost enough paint already."

"Now why would I do that?" smiled Bullet. Airstrike made a left hand turn and they entered the collapsing building. As they staggered along the fiery path, Airstrike thought back to how this all began...

* * *

_It started off as a normal day. The Decepticons were expected to attack a populated planet, and Airstrike and Bullet had both been assigned to protect and evacuate the high leaders of the planet along with some other members of the Auto-Bot team. _

_But, whilst they were evacuating themselves, the Decepticons launched their attack. The leaders of the planet escaped unharmed along with most of the people of the area. The rest of their team had already retreated back to the ship. However, Bullet had not been so lucky. His group was the last to leave the planet and were gunned down by the Decepticons. Airstrike, being his best friend and comrade in arms, had gone back to rescue him, but his eyesight was lost blocking an incoming shot from a nearby Decepticon turret. As he fell from the sky, Bullet made an attempt to break his fall by jumping underneath him so he landed on his back, leaving him temporarily paralyzed in the process...

* * *

_

Airstrike sighed and smiled, looking down at where he knew his friend was.

"It's strange how we get into these situations"

Bullet smiled as well, just as some rubble collapsed from the caving in room and landed right in front of them.

"Stop!" he shouted before Airstrike walked right into it. The flames above them shook as more and more rubble fell from the floors above

"Which way?!"

Airstrike panicked. He couldn't see but he sure could hear it!

"Left! No Right! No!" Bullet panicked too. He couldn't see a way out that didn't involve getting hurt!

Suddenly, shouts emitted from the other side of the wreckage right in front of them. Beyond the debris stood a large group from their squadren who had returned to the doomed planet for survivors.

"Over here!"

Airstrike looked around aimlessly "Where are they?" he quietly said, the heat from the flames starting to penetrate his armour "In front of us but there's too much rubble! We'll never make it through!" replied Bullet. He too was getting weaker from the intense heat. Airstrike gripped his friends shoulder.

"Hang on..."

Before Bullet could react, Airstrike ran at the wreckage with him behind. As Airstrike charged, he began to feel the fire around him more. He could feel his energy dropping...lower and lower... until a large plank of burning wood dropped in his way. He didn't see the burning log and went straight through it, Bullet still behind him. He collapsed immeadiatly after the impact...

"We need a medic over here! Inferno move your axel!" he heard from the other side. The cool air rippled over his sore body. He had done it... They were through... Bullet towered over him being held by another warrior. He smiled at him

"Thank You..."

Airstrike smiled.

"Anytime"

His inner systems fried from the intense heat that stuck to him like glue. He was on fire... burning brighter then the Olympic Torch at the human Olympic Games no doubt... The smell of his own metal, melting under the intense heat...The nauseating smell that eventually got the best of him as he crashed out.

* * *

"Airstrike? Striker can you hear me?" 

A male transformer spoke softly as he came out of his offline status. He tried to look around, but he couldn't see. He tried to speak, but something was stopping him from doing so. So instead he nodded. It was one of the only things he could do. He suddenly remembered earliers events. The Blaze... Bullet... The house... It was all rushing back to him.

"It's Inferno Airstrike... Your optics and vocal processors were damaged in the fire... I'm working on repairing them now..." said the voice quietly. Airstrike moved his arm slowly, only to have Inferno carefully pin it back down "Don't move. You and Bullet have been seriously burnt in the accident. Any slight move could break something..."

"Sheesh make him worry! Why don't you just tell him every circuit in his body that's broken whilst you're at it!" shouted someone from the other side of the room

"You don't understand how bad these wounds are!"

"Oh here we go again. Blah blah blah I'm not a medic Inferno!"

"Well perhaps if you understood you'd stop jumping to conclusions!"

Airstrike listened to them argue for some time, until the voice of his leader, Optimus Prime, was heard. He couldn't avoid his voice, it was somewhat programmed into his systems so he could never forget it. But to his surprise, he didn't come over. In fact, he didn't even ask about his status... He just separated the two arguing bots, then he left the room no more words said.

After a while the only thing he could hear was Inferno tinkering with some controls. Impatient to see his friend he lifted his arm again whilst Inferno wasn't looking and moved it towards his chest. If he could just get his vocal processors working... then maybe... just maybe, he could talk to Inferno about Bullet. His friend's health was his main concern...

Suddenly, Inferno turned around. Bullet made what sounded like a small moan. He rushed over to him, eyeing up Airstrike as he did "Don't you dare Striker or I'll have strap you down" he said. The burns on his chest were pulsing painfully, and the slight movement he made with his arm was making the pain worse. He let his arm drop back by his side, wincing as it slammed down onto the berth.

"Airstrike..." Airstrike looked over to where the weak cry emitted. Some help that did. He couldn't see his friend... but he could hear the fear in his friends' voice. Bullet was relatively younger then Airstrike, but that didn't stop them from being the best of friends and comrades in arms. He wanted to speak. Oh how he wanted to tell his friend he was alright! But he couldn't! All he could do was listen to his friends voice...

"He's fine Bullet"

"I...wanna... talk to... him..."

"You can't. The fire's damaged his vocal processors... I had to shut them down"

"What? But..." Bullet's sentence was cut short by a whimper of pain. Inferno explained to him what was going to happen, then he turned to Airstrike. He had drifted off to sleep. Inferno smiled slightly and flickered his orange optics as he prepared to get to work on the two fallen friends.

* * *

It took some time... but after cycles of repairs and replacing, Airstrike was back on his feet and walking around. Bullet was awake and speaking, although he still had wounds that his self repair systems were still healing. Inferno had bound him to medbay for the time being until he was deemed fit for duty. Airstrike was offered some time off but he turned it down, hopeing his work would take his mind off his friend. 

The small victory of his recovery was short, as a few days later the base recieved a transmission that the Decepticons were attacking their main base on Mars. Everyone except Inferno and Bullet were called to the bridge for an emergency meeting. Airstrike ran down the twisting hallways and came to a door. It opened on his arrival, revealing the main control deck. Everyone was gathered for their orders, everyone, including a certain group of Auto-bots that Airstrike wished he'd never have to see again...

Everyone turned to face him as he slowly walked through the doors, his body still dark and smeared with black dust that refused to come off no matter how many times he hit the wash racks.

"Nice of you to join us Airstrike" smiled Optimus. Airstrike nodded in reply, but he didn't look at him. Optimus indicated him a spot at the front of the crowd, infront of the said group he didn't wish to see again.

* * *

People say bullying occurs everywhere, to nearly everyone. The Auto-Bot ranks was no exception. The reason Airstrike hated this certain group was because they bully him and Bullet... 

"Hey Striker. Loving the new look," whispered one of them sarcastically. Optimus began giving mechs their orders and Airstrike tried his best to ignore the insults.

"What's the matter? Omnicon got your tongue? Or did you loose it in that little fire you and your friend got stuck in?" quietly hissed their leader in his audio receptors. The others snickered quietly. Airstrike's hands began to shake. This wasn't the first time he had been angry because of them, but they had threatened him that if he told Optimus about their behaviour, they would turn him and his little friend into scrap. And they were the type of bots that would do it. He clenched his hands into fists, trying desperately not to react and listen to Prime.

"Does everybody understand the situation we have here?" Suddenly said Optimus, shifting Airstrike out of his thoughts. The bullies behind him suddenly pushed Airstrike forward. Everyone shifted their attention to him, including Optimus who raised an optic ridge at him. The room was dead silent. Airstrike looked round at everyone's staring eyes...

"Excuse Me..."

He quickly left the room avoiding everyones surprised gaze and quiet chatter. He couldn't be in there anymore with them. They had been bullying both him and Bullet ever since they were transferred from Cybertron. He slumped against the wall outside the room, trying not to loose his nerve. The fire had really shaken him. His mind was so focused on the accident and his friends' health he didn't hear Optimus exit the room.

"Airstrike... are you alright?" Airstrike jumped round hearing the concerned voice. He looked up at his leader. The red and blue mech stared at him, optics showing his worry for his soldier. "Yeah... I'm fine" his reply was barely above a whisper. Optimus didn't look convinced.

"Something's bothering you"

"Its nothing really... just worried about Bullet that's all..."

"If there was something wrong..."

"I would come straight to you I know... this isn't the first time you've told me" replied Airstrike finishing Primes sentence. Optimus raised an optic ridge at the young jet, but his attention was suddenly moved to the rather loud shouts from the other room. The supreme commander turned around to leave

"Sounds like I have an argument to stop. Take all the time you need Airstrike," he said taking his leave. Airstrike saluted, and then leant against the wall again, burying his face into his hands. He hated lying to his commander, but it was the only thing he could do to stop himself or Bullet from getting in danger. If he told Optimus what was going on... well lets just say his battle scars would be the least of his worries. Thinking of nothing else to do he decided to check on Bullet...

* * *

Airstrike took the long way round to the medbay, stopping at the wash racks to calm down before he brought too much attention to himself. But as he entered the large recovery room, he found it strangely deserted. What he hadn't known, was that while he was being distracted by the group of Auto-bots behind him, Optimus had been issuing an evacuation of the base... They were moving location from the planet but Airstrike had been so engrossed in his own thoughts and fears he hadn't heard about it! Panicking, Airstrike ran back to the main control deck, only to find it as deserted as the medical bays. 

Optimus stood outside with Bullet as everyone else filed into the shuttles.

"Where is he? He should be here by now..." quietly said Bullet as he looked at the building for him. His head was bandaged and his arm broken, but he refused to leave until his friend was clear of the building. He was resting on Optimus's shoulder waiting for the burnt jet to show his face.

* * *

Meanwhile behind the building... 

"Ha ha! This is so much fun! Why didn't we join the Decepticon ranks in the first place Demolisher?" cackled Cyclonus as both him and Demolisher shifted explosives and placed them at the side of the building...

"Will you two keep it down?! Do you want to get caught! You're not Decepticons until Megatron says so!" hissed Starscream to the two betraying Auto-Bots as he kept watch. They shifted some more of the cylinder containers, until the whole side was flashing red from the remote control timed detonators.

"Heh... Explosives set sir!" smiled Demolisher "Excellent. Starscream you have ten seconds for all three of you to leave the area before those bombs go off" evilly said Megatron in Starscream's ear. The second in command didn't really want to be particles just yet... "Come on! We have ten seconds before they blow!" he shouted. All three of them transformed and sped away, avoiding the view of the Auto-Bots infront of the base.

* * *

The counters on the bombs ticked downwards... 9... 8... 7...

* * *

'What the heck is beeping?' thought Airstrike to himself as he wandered down the quiet hallways. 

5... 4... 3...

Suddenly Airstrike figured out what it was "BOMB!" he shouted as he ran down the long hallway.

'1'

The whole building shook as the entire left wall caved in. Airstrike screamed in fright as the rubble collapsed onto him.

* * *

"What the heck happened!" shouted Bullet trying to find answers from Optimus's surprised face expression "Airstrike! Airstrike can you hear me!" bellowed Bullet down his communicator, which in this situation, forgot that it didn't work. Optimus turned around to shout for help, when Bullet decided to go in after his friend 

"I gotta save him!"

He pelted it towards the base, his pain suddenly disappearing. Nobody had time to react, Bullet was gone.

* * *

"Help!" shouted Airstrike. His body was trapped underneath the wreckage of the left wall, crushing his stomach but leaving his right hand and head free. He cried out again in pain but nobody replied... he couldn't concentrate through all the pain and panic... and that loud hissing noise on the other side of the debris near his legs wasn't helping either! 

Wait a minute... loud hissing?!

Airstrike tried to shift some rubble as the smell of gas reached his nasal circuits... a loud bang told him the fire had caught light...

"Help! Somebody please!" screamed Airstrike again in fear. Tears threatened to run down his face as a large metal pole dug into his side. The fire drew closer and closer to his legs, until he was overwhelmed with the heat as it tickled his lower circuits. Panicking, Airstrike managed to pull his other arm free, but the move was rewarded by a loud clank. Airstrike closed his eyes as a large steel girder from the buildings main structure bound his legs to the ground. The fire's heat suddenly intensified as it crawled up his legs slowly and painfully to reach his trapped torso. Airstrike struggled harder as he screamed out in pain

"Airstrike!"

"Bullet! Over here!" Airstrike could recognise that voice anywhere. Bullet ran over, hitting his head on a chunk of rubble as he ran towards his friend

"What are you doing here?!" shouted Airstrike as Bullet leant down and started to clear the rubbish

"I came to return to favour for earlier" simply replied the weak gold tinted 'bot as he used both his hands to try and pull Airstrike out. Airstrike looked up, seeing a red pipe above his head. Flames were approaching it...

"Bullet the gas pipe!"

Too late.

The nearby pipe exploded in Bullet's face, sending flames into his exposed chest. Bullet was pushed backwards into the back wall "Bullet!" shouted Airstrike as he wriggled under the rubble, managing to pull himself out a few inches. Bullet whimpered in pain, his inner circuits singed from the fire.

Airstrike pulled his burnt body free and army crawled next to his friend. He was scared and wanted to get out. He could see in Bullets eyes that he felt the same...

"Airstrike..."

Airstrike looked at his friend

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna die aren't we.."

"Looks like it..." he replied simply. No use lying to him. Bullet lent his head on his shoulder

"Well at least neither of us die alone..."

An explosion smashed the rubble in their faces as they sat against the intact wall, unable to move. Bullet shivered, huddling closer to his friend

"Who ever knew fire was so cold..."

Tears streamed down his face as Airstrike put his hand around him. His circuits started failing on him... He couldn't feel his lower body anymore. It was too scorched from the fire earlier... His optics blurred until he saw something move... three silhouettes that came closer towards them

"Bullet! Airstrike! Can you hear me!"

Bullet didn't move. He had already crashed out... Airstrike gripped onto his voice for one last shout.

"Over here Optimus!"

The silhouettes turned into blurred colours and shapes as he felt his head drop sideways on top of his friends...

* * *

"How are they?" 

Optimus quietly stood outside the critical injuries unit with Inferno and Jetfire. The emergancy light was lit up, indicating the presence of the two scorched Auto-Bots.

"I'd be lying if I said they had good chances..." sighed Inferno. Jetfire stood quietly behind Optimus, his visor watching over the situation. He said nothing, just stood there.

"I'm counting on you Inferno. Just do what you can" nodded Optimus. Inferno nodded then returned to the medical bay to check up on his two paitents. Bullet stirred hearing Inferno's steps. Suddenly, he sat up, his friend being the first thing he thought of.

"Wo wo where do you think you're going?" asked Inferno reconnecting some wires to him. Bullet winced, his chest straining in pain but he refused to rest until he knew for sure.

"Where's Airstrike? Is he..." he said before Inferno shushed him

"I've had to put him on life support. He lost a lot of energon in the fire...as did you" whispered Inferno indicating the corner. Airstrike was barely seen behind the masses of wires and machines surrounding him. Inferno pushed Bullet down carefully as he dropped back into recharge.

Airstrike however was already awake. He had been for a while. He had been staring at the ceiling, his own energon tears covering his face. He had been in pain the minute they had arrived, but unfortunately his visor had slipped downwards, covering his eyes so Inferno couldn't see he was online. He had tried flexing his arm to get his attention, but Inferno didn't seem to be noticing. He couldn't move his head, or his torso, it was the only thing he could feel. To comfort himself, he had been counting the tiles on the ceiling.

Inferno's gaze finally stopped on him, but Airstrike stopped moving his hand, pretending he was in recharge. He was scared to let Inferno see him awake... He didn't know what it was but it scared him to death... he was afraid of Inferno all of a sudden. Bullet was awake, he could see him also pretending to be recharging. He knew his friend well enough to know when he was faking it. Bullet wasn't the best when it come to pretending to recharge. Inferno turned his head to the blackened gold speedster, noticing quickly that he wasn't doing what he was told.

"I thought I told you to recharge"

"But.." protested Bullet looking over at Airstrike. Airstrike shook his arm, gesturing to him he was ok. Bullet sighed, still worried about his best friend. Neither of them wanted to see the other hurt, but in this situation there was nothing else they could do.

Inferno wandered into a side room for a while, just as a couple more energon tears fell from Airstrike's cheeks. He was in so much pain... but because of his damaged vocals he had no way of showing it. Bullet felt his pain. It was as if they were bonded in a way... like brothers... they weren't bonded, nor were they actually brothers. It was the friendship between them...

"Airstrike! Primus You're awake!"

Inferno ran over with a small needle in his hands. He injected the programme into his neck, soothing Airstrike's pain "I'm sorry... I didn't know you were awake otherwise I would've given it to you earlier..." Airstrike gave him a weak thumbs up in reply. He couldn't manage any more movement. The drug was already trying to pull him into recharge, but he wanted to stay online in case something happened to Bullet. After a long antagonizing two minutes he gave in and drifted off into recharge...

* * *

"_Run! Take Airstrike and get out of here!"_

_The last thing he heard his father say... Airstrike watched in horror as the fire-ridden streets were filled with screams. He was being carried away from his father as he shot at the trespassing Decepticon army. His mother fled back into their house, clutching little Airstrike as she ran for their lives. Frightened, Airstrike looked up at his mother, his eyes glazed over with oncoming tears _

_"Its alright my little Striker... nobody's going to hurt you" she said to him, the strong sensation of fear emitting from her voice. Striker... that used to be his nickname... It was only a few hours ago they were sitting down watching TV until they attacked their small neighbourhood. What did they want? There wasn't anything here! They lived in a simple Auto-Bot village! Nothing was worth anything here! _

_Suddenly, a scream emitted behind them followed by an explosion. Airstrike's mother tripped forward, dropping Airstrike as three shadows appeared behind her. They stepped on her, walking to him. _

_"Run Strike!" squealed his mother before she was silenced forever by a simple gunshot to the head. Airstrike panicked and made a break for a nearby air duct. He crawled up the diagonal vent until he felt one of them grabbing his leg_

_"You're not going anywhere sparkling" he laughed as his men trashed the places around him._

"_Mummy!" wailed Airstrike as he was dragged out of the duct by his leg and gripped by one of the trespassers. They laughed at his frantic struggles._

"'_Mummy!'" They taunted in ridiculously high-pitched voices. "Little glitch!"_

_Airstrike screamed as he saw a laser gun aimed at his head. It was at point-blank range, there was no way that the Decepticon could miss. __Then, as if by miracle, Airstrike found himself hoisted away from the weapon. Only to realize that his 'rescuer' was this group of thugs' boss._

"_Idiots, this little brat is useful alive! We can use him as a hostage or a living shield! Or perhaps he could be our little pet!" _

_The group lowered their heads as a small laser shot flew past their leaders sensor relays. They all immediately spun round to be met face to face with a rather large group of other transformers. _

_"Auto-Bots" hissed their leader spitefully. Oh how he loved cracking their heads... Airstrike was still sobbing in his capturers arms, his vents trying to desperately take in air as he shook uncontrollably. The Decepticon leader smirked _

_"Put down the sparkling" commanded a large mech in charge of the group of Auto-Bots. They all had their weapons ready for an order. Their leader was a tall mech with red and white armour. His visor was reflecting the fire from outside. Airstrike suddenly felt his hips being grabbed. The Decepticon leader held him in front of the group, chuckling to himself _

_"Come and get him" he said. Airstrike sobbed and shook, when suddenly he was thrown to the ground. He cried out as he felt one of his delecate wings bend from the impact. _

_"Don't!" shouted someone as he felt a foot being placed on his head. _

_"None of you move or I squash his circuitry!" The pressure on Airstrike's head increased slightly. The sparkling screamed in fear, the floor around him drenched with his tears "Jetfire! What do we do!" shouted one of the troops behind their leader. He was around the same size as Jetfire. He was yellow and holding a long red weapon with a grey end on it. Jetfire pondered, figuring his options, but before he could give the order _

_"Fire!" shouted the Decepticon leader. Every Decepticon suddenly had a weapon, and the battle proceeded. Airstrike felt the foot on his head move, then the pain of a foot in the back. He was kicked aside towards the air duct his father had installed. It lead to a small room concealed in the wall. He made it so whenever somebody attacked, Airstrike would be safe and away from harm. He could hear his parents coaching him in his head... _

_'Run Striker... Don't look back... stay safe...' _

_He closed his eyes as he managed to stand up. "Hey!" shouted a Decepticon seeing him run but an Auto-Bot stopped him. He watched the lit__tle bot scramble into the duct and army crawl through it, before he returned to the fight._

_Airstrike reached the small room. He jumped onto the berth inside and curled up, still sobbing and shaking. The room wasn't very big, well not big enough to have a fully grown transformer in. Inside the four walls was a few necessities. A berth in case he had to stay inside for the night, a small container holding 3 Energon cubes and a shelf with a Sparkling sized gun on, just in case he had to defend himself. His father had thought of everything. Plus his mother had put a few trinkets for him in there too. Nearby was his teddy and a blanket she had made for him. The large blanket was a dark blue with his name stitched into it and a large Auto-Bot insignia. On the bottom of the material was a small box of writing. _

_'Never give up, Never give in. Believe in yourself and soon you shall win'_

_He grabbed both of these objects and laid down. Bringing his knees up to his face he listened to the battle outside, more tears streaming down his face as his spark throbbed inside his chest plate. For the first time ever in his life, he felt... empty... There was nothing warming his spark, no love, no happiness, not even a small glint telling him everything was alright. Nothing was left and he knew what it meant._

_He was alone. _

_It felt like eons before the gunshots and shouts ceased. Airstrike had stayed awake through it all, curled up underneath the blanket. The three energon cubes where gone, he used them to stay awake. Still shaking underneath his blanket, he crawled off the berth, throwing the blanket aside. _

_Silence. _

_This worried him. _

_His stomach growled violently, reminding him of his hunger. The cubes hadn't filled him up at all, they had just calmed him down a bit. He felt strange through...his optics were blurry and his legs felt weak. Squinting, he used the wall to guide himself towards the cupboard where his weapon was stashed. He took it out and looked at it. The gun matched his baby blue paint and it was already loaded. A scope was attachable, meaning he didn't have to worry about if his attackers tried to run. A twinge of pain rushed through his head as he wobbled sideways. What had been in those cubes? His father _had_ put him in here for him... right? _

_Making his way out of the duct, he tipped sideways, landing on his sore afterburners. _

_"He went through there Jetfire..." _

_Airstrike scrambled to his feet seeing the group of Auto-Bots approaching. Jetfire noticed him and rushed over as he disappeared back into the small shoot. He grabbed his leg like the Decepticons had done, but a small crack of a weapon had him quickly pulled it back again "Argh! He shot me!" he shouted, his hand sparking from where Airstrike had shot him. _

_Airstrike cowered in the duct, far away enough from the entrance so they couldn't grab him. The shot was only a small shock, Airstrike's weapon wasn't a real blaster. His father had designed it to temporarily shock the foe, meaning Airstrike could escape. Jetfire shook off the shock easily and peered into the hole. Airstrike gasped seeing his visor on the other end and shuffled further back into the duct. _

_"Hello..." said Jetfire nicely. Airstrike panicked and took aim at the invading Transformer's face "Woo! there's no need for that! My names Jetfire. What's yours?" asked the red Auto-bot. Airstrike couldn't see his face under the battle mask he wore, but he could hear from Jetfire's tone of voice that he was smiling. _

_"A-Airstrike" whimpered Airstrike, lowering his weapon. He had always been told by his parents how he was a fast achiever. Still a sparkling but being able to talk was a great achievement apparently. _

_"Nice ta meet you Airstrike. Why don't you come out here so we can make sure your ok eh?" calmly soothed Jetfire. He hadn't had a lot of practise with kids before, but seeing a lot of his team mates handle it he just copied their actions. Airstrike put his weapon into a holster on his side, then he slowly crawled towards the exit. _

_The surrounding warriors moved backwards as he came out, but as soon as his legs hit the floor he felt strange again. He wobbled sideways where a mech bent down and steadied him. Airstrike looked up at them all, frightened as they towered over him. His bottom lip quivered as he whimpered in fear. A scanner was suddenly thrown in front of him. Airstrike screamed and leaped backwards into Jetfire. Realising who it was he had bumped into he quickly ran behind him, grabbing onto his leg. _

_"Its ok he's just checking to see if your hurt" said one of the other mechs. Jetfire bent down and gently picked him up "Its ok Airstrike... He won't hurt you.. If he does he'll answer to me ok?" he smiled. Airstrike put his small hands round Jetfires neck as another red transformer stepped towards him. His face was white and his helm yellow. A plasma blaster sat on right arm smoking, just below where black paint surrounded his wrists. He lifted his scanner again and ran it over Airstrike slowly. A quick frown told Jetfire it wasn't good... _

"_What's up Inferno?" he said, Airstrike trembling still _

_"He's suffered quite a bit of damage... but it's his energon levels that bother me. Looking at these readings, I'd say he's drunk at least three small cubes of weak highgrade" replied the bot Jetfire had called Inferno. They both looked down at him "So what's the damage?" asked another nearby. Inferno turned to the yellow warrior who had asked, breifly evaluating on what he had just said. _

_"You feeling ok?" Jetfire quietly asked the little mech in his arms. Airstrike looked confused. What was highgrade? How could he have had some if he didn't even know what it was? and why were they all staring at him? _

_Jetfire put a hand on his forehead. He was warm. Come to think of it, Airstrike realised he did actually feel quite sick. He thought it was because he was hungry but the Auto-Bots around him obviously knew differently. There was something they wern't telling him. _

_"Let's get him back to headquarters. We'll see how he is in the morning" ordered Jetfire. The Auto-bots nodded. Jetfire put Airstrike on the ground gently. _

_"Do you want to go get some of your things? I'll come with you if you like" he said holding out his hand. Airstrike took it and lead him up the stairs towards his room. _

_His room was completely trashed, almost everything was broken or overturned. Airstrike bet down and gathered everything he could find still fixed whilst Jetfire watched from the doorway. He'd have to get a squad down here later to assist in cleaning up the now destroyed area. _

_It wasn't much... A photo of him and his parents when he was first born –The frame shattered and the glass smashed-, some toys and a small tracker device his mum gave him in case he lost them whilst they were out. He put the device on, hoping that it would lead him to them. He had never felt more lost then he did now. He hoped for a blip to appear, telling him his parents were downstairs waiting for him. Something to tell him he was dreaming. Anything... _

_Nothing blipped up on the radar screen._

_More tears appeared in his eyes as he looked at the blank tracker. He felt strange again. Jetfire walked up to him slowly. His footsteps seemed to throb through Airstrikes' head menacingly. _

_"Come on.. We have to leave now" quietly said Jetfire bending down. Airstrike clutched his forehead. A sudden jolt of pain made him bend down to his knees. It felt like his head and chest were about to explode. Jetfire held his arms out to pick him up, but Airstrike suddenly reacted and got to his feet. He ran out of the door, down the stairs of his now destroyed home and back into the small safe room. He grabbed his blanket and curled up on the berth, the force of his family gone now ripping his inner circuits apart. _

_"Airstrike! Come on kid! How do you expect me to help you if I can't get to you?" _

_Airstrike ignored him. He could feel every circuit in his body throbbing and straining. He just wanted his mother to pick him up and hug him the way only she could. He wanted his dad to tell him everything was going to be ok... but now... now they were both gone. He screamed, his spark being ripped into three pieces... he knew he had to go with them. They could help him... give him a home, perhaps even a second chance of a happy life. _

_Grabbing everything he could that was still in one piece, he whipped them all onto his blanket, where he folded them up into it. _

_Jetfire sat by the wall on the other side of the duct waiting for Airstrike to come out. He was exhausted from the battle but he refused to go without the sparkling. There was something about him that he liked, be it the fact that he was a flyer like him he didn't know. He was just... different. Everyone else waited for him in the burning street near a blue and green glowing vortex. The Space Bridge. Their free ticket to any part of the galaxy they could imagine at a touch of a button..._

_A ship was waiting for them on the other side to take them all back to Cybertron where Airstrike would be shipped off to the youth zone. He didn't want to loose the kid, but he had to. Unless he could convince Optimus otherwise and let him stay with them..._

_A noise emitted from the duct and slowly Airstrike came out with his stuff. He ran over to Jetfire and he was picked up, hugging him, still weeping from the pain throbbing though his tiny circuits._

"_Alright... Don't worry we'll take care of ya..."_

"_You guys coming or what?" _

"_We're coming Hotshot hold on will ya?" _

"_Well hurry up! They'll go without us if we stay here any longer!"_

"_You ready to go?" asked Jetfire looking down at the child. He gently stroked his head as the child cried and shook in his arms. Airstrike took one look around, then turned and nodded. Jetfire smiled from underneath his faceplate, the young mech still latched onto him. They wandered out into the street, where Airstrike looked at his home. Sobbing, he looked up at the large jet that cradled him in his arms. _

_"Love hurts..." he sniffed burying his face in Jetfire's shoulder plate._

_"I know kid. I know..." muttered Jetfire under his breath as he continued to stroke his helm. Airstrike looked back as they stepped into the Space Bridge, his neighborhood and life vanishing forever...

* * *

_

"Airstrike? Dude you awake?" suddenly said a voice, snapping him out of recharge. He groaned and shook his head. He wasn't a morning mech so to speak.

"Nooo I'm asleep!" he said quietly, a small smile tugging at the sides of his mouth. His friend smiled and laughed.

"Yeah I know! Well" Bullet latched onto his shoulders and shook him "WAKE UP!" he shouted laughing. Airstrike suddenly felt the floor underneath him as he was pushed off the recharge berth. His optics lit up as he hit the cold metal floor. All the pain from earlier still lingered, but it was bearable now.

"Bullet? What you doing out of bed?" asked Airstrike sitting up from the floor. He yawned and stretched his arms in an attempt to wake up a little more. Bullet grinned and held out an almost black hand. Airstrike took it and Bullet lifted him off the floor "Inferno discharged me!" he said

"What? When?"

"Erm... about an hour ago!"

"How long was I asleep for?"

"Strike you've been in recharge for three cycles! I was this close to calling Inferno!"

"What?! Why didn't you wake me!"

"I just did!" laughed Bullet seeing his friends' reaction. He gestured to the door and they both left the room "Optimus wants to see ya anyways" smiled Bullet as the door closed firmly behind them.

As they walked the hallways of the ship, Auto-Bots smiled as they passed.

"Hey Striker! Nice to see you back on your feet" said one "Thanks" replied Airstrike. Others waved and nodded as they walked by, but as they reached the elevator a certain group of Auto-Bots stood nearby it.

They both stopped in their tracks seeing their backs turned from them. Bullet pulled him back behind a wall so they couldn't be seen.

"There's no rush to see Optimus you know. Why don't we head to our quarters and rest eh?" he said, a small glint of fear in his eyes. Airstrike shook his head.

"I'm sick of being treated like a punching bag. Just let me handle this" he replied. Bullet was unsure, but he followed his friend as they called the lift. The group turned around any spied them both.

"Well look who it is! How was the fire boys? I'm digging your new paint!" said their leader. The others laughed and Bullet looked away from them nervously. Airstrike just stood there, his optics narrowed.

"What's wrong? Inferno take your voice box out? Or maybe you just don't have the guts to speak coz you know what's gonna happen" he said staring him down. Airstrike kept a straight face expression. That recharge had made him think. He was sick and tired of being afraid of them. He was supposed to work with them sometime in the future, so he thought that it was time he did something about it. The leader grabbed him.

"Say something you waste of metal!" demanded the large transformer. Airstrike smirked.

"When you stop talking out of your aft I will" he replied. Bullet blinked, trying not to laugh as the group stood gormless '_We're doomed_' rattled through his processors as his friend kept eye contact. The leader looked like he was about to explode with anger, when he signalled a few of his friends.

"You'll regret that you little glitch" he said quietly as they lingered around Bullet. The smirk on Airstrikes face disappeared as he watched the group circle his friend.

"You touch him and I'll rip out your optics" he said, his hands turning into fists

"Yeah? You and what army?" whispered the mech, his hand latching onto Airstrikes throat. Airstrike struggled as he was hosted into the air. This was it...

"Him and this army"

Looking round, the group gasped as they saw Jetfire and Optimus Prime standing over them, their arms crossed in anger. They were two of the oldest and highest ranked transformers in the base. Nobody messed with them.

"Slag... Guys pull out!" shouted the gang leader dropping Airstrike

"We'll settle this later Striker!" shouted their leader back to them. Airstrike landed on his aft and the group retreated, one of them pushing Bullet over as they all transformed and sped away. Bullet jumped up quickly and tackled his friend, pinning him to the ground

"That was awesome!" he said helping him up and hugging him

"You two alright?" Prime stepped forward as the lift door opened

"Yeah we're good..." replied Airstrike. All four of them entered the lift. The two young mechs looked at each other. They both knew what was coming.

"Why didn't either of you tell me you were being bullied?" asked Prime. Airstrike shifted uncomfortably, his burnt armour scraping against Bullets arm. He didn't want to answer...

"Well?"

"Because if we did they'd turn us to scrap..." Bullet spoke up, his optics not moving from Airstrikes gaze. Jetfire looked at Airstrike too. The day he had rescued him rushed back into his memory banks.

* * *

The lift door opened and they all stepped out. Optimus led them to his office and they each took a seat. Jetfire stood in the corner to survey the situation. 

"You better start explaining" said Optimus as he sat down. They explained everything to him there and then, stopping once for Airstrike to control his emotions.

When they had finished, Optimus looked at them both. He was speechless. How could he let something like this happen behind his back? Airstrike was still trying to hold back the tears from it all. He couldn't remember when he was last happy in the base.

"C-can we go now Sir?" asked Bullet. The tension in the room was making him nervous. Optimus nodded but called back

"Airstrike. I want to speak with you"

"Catch you later Bullet" he said. Bullet nodded and left the room "I'll meet you in my quarters" he replied at the door closed. Optimus stood up and sat on the edge of his desk near Airstrike. The young mech looked away from him "Airstrike.." he said quietly. He couldn't remember at that second what he wanted to talk to him about. He sighed, placing his hand on his shoulder. Airstrike winced and he removed it, his plating still a little tender from the burns. He sighed, looking up at the prone jet still standing in the corner.

"Jetfire. Take Airstrike to you know where. Get him sorted out"

Airstrike looked up confused

"What?"

"Yes sir" nodded Jetfire tapping Airstrike on the head "Come on. We're going for a fly" he smiled.

Airstrike stood up to leave with him, only to hear a scream from further down in the hallway. The two of them ran out the door to find Bullet curled up in the corner of the hall shaking in pure fear. Airstrike panicked.

"Bullet! What happened!"

Bullet looked at his pal but he said nothing, he just stared at him, eyes white with fear. He wasn't hurt, but he wasn't able to speak. He grabbed Airstrike and hugged him, fear pulsing through his body as he shook violently.

"Bullet... talk to me... who did this?" calmly whispered Airstrike into his auto receptors. Bullet's breathing turned to gasps of fright as he shook in Airstrike's brotherly embrace. Then he gently pushed Airstrike away and lifted his arm. Confused, Airstrike looked at, then moved back in horror at what he saw. Jetfire came forward.

"What is it? What's happened?" he asked, also looking down at the once gold coloured Auto-Bot. Bullets arm was covered in scratches, but amongst the scratches was a message. Jetfire read it aloud for all three of them to hear.

"This is what happens when you anger us. Next time we will hurt him more then we did this time. I'll personally see to it that he doesn't leave his quarters if you so much as try to harm us. We've all gone to join the Decepticon ranks. The next time we meet will be in battle. I cannot wait. Your Pals, Cyclonus, Demolisher, Napalm, Skartplug and Quickstrike..." he trailed off. None of them could believe it. Bullet sniffed, tears flooding his once beautiful blue optics.

* * *

"That's the exact words printed sir" 

"So they've gone to join the Decepticons..."

"Yes sir. Well that's what they wrote anyway"

Optimus lent forward in his chair, his mind riddled with thought. He had known that this small group were reckless, but joining the Decepticons? No way...

Bullet and Airstrike sat upon a medical birth, each of them clutching a small energon cube. Both of their hands were shaking, their cubes rattling dangerously in their hands. Bullet took a sip of his cube and looked up at his friend, only to see a look of guilt on his face. He hadn't spoken since they'd found him. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It was like his voice processors had been ripped from their sockets... Airstrike looked back at him.

"I do feel guilty Bullet. If I hadn't of provoked them then none of this would've happened..."

He could read his friends' mind like a book. Even as a mute, Bullets body language said enough. After a long moment of silence, Bullet lent on Airstrikes shoulder. Slowly, he opened his mouth.

"I'm...S-sorry..."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"Sorry.. I didn't speak earlier" smiled Bullet finishing off his cube. Airstrike smiled.

"I'm just glad you are speaking... you had me worried"

"No kidding" suddenly said a voice.

The two mechs jumped and Bullet dropped his empty cube.

"Relax guys its only me" laughed Jetfire crossing the room to them. Airstrike sighed with relief and Bullet blushed bashfully, hiding behind Airstrike's wing slightly.

"I need to speak with you Striker if that's alright"

Airstrike nodded, then turned to his friend "You gonna be ok for a few minutes?" he said. Bullet nodded "You erm... need to let go of my wing then" he smiled. Bullet had only just realised that he had gripped onto Airstrike's wing when Jetfire entered. He smiled then stood up, following Jetfire out of the room.

Both Airstrike and Jetfire moved away from the door so they were out of earshot.

"What's up?"

"I thought I'd just let you know I've told Optimus about this so you don't have to. Plus I was wondering if you want Bullet could accompany us on this little 'trip'. I've already told Optimus" he replied, a smile verging under his face plate. Airstrike suddenly remembered about that.

"Ok... but where are we going?"

"You'll see" smiled Jetfire. He walked back into the room to see Bullet standing up. He had been pacing back and forth, thinking about everything that had happened. Thinking always calmed him down. He jumped as they entered "Come on speedy we're going for a little drive" smiled Airstrike.

* * *

"Where we going?"

Bullet asked as they wandered down the hallway. His friend shrugged. He didn't know either... Jetfire remained silent. They all reached the airlock and transformed, Airstrike setting off first in his black hawk fighter jet mode, followed by Jetfire. Bullet was the last to leave, transforming into a Subaru Impretza Wrx sti. He followed the two jets with help from a shaky, yet stable burst of blue flame that emitted from his large twin exhausts.

"I told you installing that nitro burst would come in handy one day! And you doubted human technology..." emitted from Airstrikes radio, sending the flyer into a slight shock which eventually cleared. The cause of the shock was unknown, but he put it down as not being able to use his radio in a while since it had been singed... twice.

Jetfire flew in front of them, his course set. He didn't speak, he just flew silently. He could sense his two team mates only vaguely being able to keep up with him. Dropping his speed, he came wing to wing with Airstrike "Yo Jetfire! Mind filling us in on where we're going?" asked Airstrike only to greeted again by the silence on his radio. He didn't like being ignored... he was about to say something when a small crackle emitted from it, telling him someone nearby had either just turned their radio off or on... "Look ahead boys! That's where we're headed" suddenly said an enthusiastic Jetfire. Airstrike stared ahead at the planet in front of him. Overall, the planet looked normal, except there were a couple of flashing objects emitting on the surface. The yellowish colour of the planet looked like it had been sprayed with an incredibly large paint can

"Welcome to my little hideaway guys! I call this place Paradise!" he could tell Jetfire was smiling as they started to touch down. Bullets' engine coughed and spluttered as he neared the planet, the blue flame from the nitro boost fading. Airstrike transformed in mid-air and gently grabbed the smouldered car before it began a small freefall to the planet below "Owow! Striker let go of my bonnet it hurts!" squealed Bullet quickly, his metal shaking "Sorry I forgot" replied Airstrike cringing. Jetfire came over.

"Come on boys. I got some people expecting ya"

Airstrike looked at him confused, but the only reply he received was what he could see was a wink behind his visor. Bullet transformed, and they all gently lowered to the planet.

* * *

It took several hours, but eventually they we're set. Jetfire turned to them after speaking with a strange bot "Right boys! Optimus gave me permission to bring you here! Just go on in and you'll realise why we're here!" he said excited. He pushed them both in the direction of a large building in front of them "Go on!" he said. Bullet looked at Airstrike nervously. Airstrike gulped, then took a few steps before Bullet followed.

"Hey! Airstrike and Bullet right? Welcome to Graphz, the best paint shop this side of the Nebulous!" smiled a blue bot as they entered. He was obviously a neutral, his white optics told them that. His body was sleek with different coloured graphics on his legs and arms.

"Follow me"

They both followed him through two large grey doors. Airstrike looked around wide-eyed. The place was full of open books with signs above them. Bullet smiled, looking round excitedly.

"Here you can pick your very own design for your paint and accessories! When you're finished let me know and if you need anything I'll be right here" smiled the bot. They looked at each other again then shrugged "Come on!" smiled Bullet dashing over to a station marked 'Paint'.

Airstrike walked over to a different station and looked at the designs. He flicked through the catalogue, seeing all the different designs. But nothing tickled his fancy... he didn't feel like going back to his light blue paintjob... he wanted something to blend in with both how he felt and his surroundings so he could disappear...

"Striker! How does this look?" shouted Bullet as he projected the design on the nearby holoscreen. Airstrike looked over. The design he had chosen was a plain silver look. The vehicle mode was his usual, but the body of it looked more evil by the way its headlights were slanted. On the back, the tail lights were put together with LED lights. He had typed in the word 'Bullet' in bold letters on the number plate.

"I want them to know who's just kicked their ass!" he smiled. Airstrike nodded.

"It'll look good on ya! I think you should go for it!"

"Thanks" smiled Bullet "The gold look was going out of fashion anyway". Airstrike laughed, then returned to the book, swapping over to the one next to it occasionally.

* * *

Finally, he found a design he liked. The plane showing the design was black with navy blue wing tips. It's two large mounted engines were grey, and the tailfins hinted a dark haze purple. The fighter plane's cockpit was Yellow, but after some editing it was re-coloured to sky blue. He grinned at the new design

"Wo! That'll look awesome!" suddenly perked up Bullet, seeing the design on the holoscreen. Without warning, two more figures entered the premises. One of them was scratched and dented, the other looked human. Bullet and Airstrike had seen humans before, but they had never seen one with red eyes and a weapon mounted on their arm...

"Hello again Syndrome, Sam" nodded their guide. The human smiled. Bullet jumped slightly as the cannon disappeared into her arm, revealing for a few seconds the insides of her arm. There wasn't any blood or veins... there was wire...

"What can I do for you today?"

"The usual please mate. Got in a little scuffle with the Convicts" smiled the one called Syndrome. He had obviously been to Earth by his semi Australian accent. His body was grey, but they couldn't determine what his vehicle mode was because of the scratches and dents on his armour. A large blue insignia shone on his chest. It looked a little like the Auto-Bot insignia, except it was different slightly. The guide nodded.

"Go on through. The specialist will take care of you right away" Syndrome nodded, then went through the door with Sam.

"You guys ready?" asked their guide suddenly. They both nodded and he gestured to the door "Follow me" he smiled and they both went through the same two doors as Syndrome and Sam.

* * *

They were lead to another room. This one was full of accessories "Woo!" exclaimed Bullet as he eyed up the racks of bumpers.

"Here you can pick your own parts if you wish! Just choose the pieces you want and write down its number. Once you are ready, proceed through the doors on the right and hand it over the counter. You will be guided from there. If you would like to follow me Airstrike, I'll take you to the aircraft accessories" Airstrike nodded. Bullet ran over to the rack of tail lights as he exited the room through the doors on the left. He was met with another room, this one loaded with accessories for almost every type of fighter jet known to him! The guide smiled, then left him alone in the room.

* * *

Jetfire waited outside patiently, when suddenly two figures appeared from inside the building. He smiled "Well if it ain't old Syndrome! Long time no see!"

"G'day Jetfire! What are you doing here at this hour?" replied Syndrome, his body gleaming from the wax. Sam was perched on his shoulder smiling.

"Just helping out a couple of accident prone mechs that's all"

"One a plane the other a car right? Saw them when we went in" suddenly perked up Sam to make sure her presence was known. Jetfire turned his head to face her.

"So how's the whole 'commander' thing going?"

"Smoothly... Well besides most of my crew not wanting to follow my orders because I'm human"

"But you ain't-"

"It's a long story"

"ah" nodded Jetfire. He had known the two long enough to know when to change the subject. Syndrome turned, hearing the door behind them open.

They all gasped.

Out came Airstrike and Bullet, both of them completely different.

Bullet used to be a gold mech with grey linings and a thin body. But the Bullet that stood in front of them didn't even look a thing like him! Instead of being gold, Bullets body was a slender silver. His body was bulky where upgrades had been made, but it was obvious that his transformation hadn't changed. A huge smile was plastered on his face, replacing the tired and worried look he usually had.

Airstrike on the other hand wasn't one colour. His sky blue body was now Jet Black, the tips of his wings navy blue and his tailfins purple. The Auto-Bot insignia was tattooed on both of his wings, gleaming in the lights surrounding the building. He was also smiling.

"Looking nice boys!" smiled Jetfire as they came over "You think so?" replied Airstrike. He twirled and Bullet laughed "Don't flatter yourself Striker" he said. He twitched, rubbing his arm "Something the matter?" said Sam, looking down on the slightly shorter mech "No... I'm just not used to the body kit that's all" He looked excited

"Hey you wanna see me in my vehicle mode! I look fiiiine!"

Before anyone could speak he had already landed on his four wheels "Sweet!" grinned Sam. Syndrome let her down and she ran up to Bullet "Mind if I look under the bonnet?"

"uh oh... the old Sam's coming back" whispered Syndrome to the other two. Airstrike tilted his head in confusion "Primus how rude of me! The names Syndrome! I'm the Freelancers saboteur stealthy guy!" suddenly perked Syndrome, holding out his hand "Airstrike" nodded Airstrike shaking it. Syndrome's head tilted over at the human

"That's Sam. She's our commander" he said smiling. Airstrike looked over at Sam and Bullet. They were playing around. Sam laughed "Wo man! Those rims are hot!" she said bending down by the Silver Subaru. Bullet chuckled. He loved being fussed over. Airstrike pointed "That's Bullet by the way" he said. Syndrome nodded.

After about an hour of talking... and trying to pull Sam away from Bullet's brand new muffler, It was time for Sam and Syndrome to leave. But before they did...

"Hey! I got an idea! Why don't you guys come back with us and meet the crew?" spoke Sam from Airstrike's wing tip this time. Jetfire looked at her.

"What?"

"Why don't Airstrike and Bullet come back to Freelancers HQ with us? I'm sure the others would love to meet them"

"Sounds cool ta me!" added Syndrome. Jetfire sighed. Both Airstrike and Bullet looked at him. They really wanted to go... he could see it in their eyes... "Alright" eventually Jetfire gave in.

"But be careful and DON'T get into mischief! I'll let Optimus know they're with you Sam"

"Wohoo! Oh and remind him that the bets still on"

"... bet?"

Sam smiled "He'll understand"

Jetfire watched them leave. He knew it would be the last time he saw them...

* * *

**FREELANCER HQ - PRESENT DAY**

* * *

Airstrike awoke from his slumber hearing a loud thump from the berth on the other side of the room. Yawning, he turned and switched a small light on, revealing the curled up silver mech on the floor. It took him a few seconds before his vocal processors came online 

"...Bullet?"

The response was delayed by a sniff. Bullet's breathing was heavy, as if he was trying to stop himself from crying.

"Yeah?"

"You alright?"

"Yep... I'm just dandy"

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No thanks... I'll be alright in a minute"

Airstrike wasn't convinced "Is it that dream again?"

Bullet's still form shuddered. He knew he was right... again. This was the third time in a week he'd found his friend like this. It was starting to bother him.

"Come on. Let's go see Skartplug about it. Perhaps he can give you something so you can recharge easier"

"No! No..." Bullet stuttered "Go back to sleep Striker... I'll be fine"

"This has gone on long enough Bullet"

"I said I'm fine! Just... go back ta sleep I'll be alright in a minute..."

Airstrike sighed. There was never a way to win when Bullet had a nightmare. Tired, he lay back on his berth, counting the ceiling tiles as he fell asleep again.

He woke the next day with a light in his face. Rubbing his optics, Airstrike jumped off his bunk... then his face met the metal floor. Rolling over, he realised he had tripped on Bullet who was curled up beside his bed. He smiled. Bullets' nightmares will continue, but that was a whole new story all together...

* * *

_S_am : Wow.. I'm not dead yet... XD Perhaps Airstrike won't tell Bullet I used that file... 

_B_ullet : Perhaps Airstrike won't tell Bullet _what_?

_S_am : Oh erm... hi Bullet...

_A_irstrike : He knows.

_S_am : ... meep?..

_-End Transmission-_

_- Airstrike.The.Careful.Risk.Taker - _


End file.
